


Let Me Know the Truth

by allwaswell16



Series: Dive [4]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 27 and 35, Actor Harry, Age Difference, American Harry Styles, Bisexual Harry Styles, British Louis Tomlinson, California, Famous Harry, Famous Louis, Football Player Louis, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Malibu, POV Alternating, Pop Star Niall, Prompt: polish, Song Lyrics, Surfing, Wordplay Fic Challenge, famous/famous, they're both adults though, to be exact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 15:02:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15488538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16
Summary: Newly retired football star, Louis Tomlinson has left Manchester for Malibu, and he now has a new life that includes surfing with pop stars and trying his best to keep up with his younger, fit, movie star boyfriend, Harry Styles. They may now be officially together, but Harry finds there's still a lot to learn about Louis Tomlinson.





	Let Me Know the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge that a group of us are participating in for the prompt "polish". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/polish/works), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works) or find the masterpost for this year’s challenge [here](https://wordplayfics.tumblr.com/post/175608230403/wordplay-2018-every-week-a-prompt-is-chosen-using).
> 
> Thank you to my beta taggiecb and to my Brit picker yousopugly for all their help as always! <3 <3
> 
> Thank you Isi for the amazing artwork you made me for this fic! It's so beautiful, and I love it so so much! You can find a link to styloueh's artwork for this fic [HERE](http://styloueh.tumblr.com/post/176448659666/part-4-of-the-dive-series-let-me-know-the).

PART FOUR: Polish

 

 

Louis sighs as he pushes aside some of the boxes that have arrived from Manchester. While everything was a bit sparse in the house, it was nice to not have to unpack. He takes a deep breath as he truly realises that he’s moved to Malibu. It’s all felt like a holiday until his belongings showed up on his doorstep. Before today, the only personal items in the house had been all the football trophies and memorabilia that his former football team had shipped him.

Now, he’s got boxes of framed photos of his family and his favourite video games and his collection of Adidas shoes and--his guitar. He pushes back the flaps on a large box that contains a guitar case carefully packaged in large packing peanuts to protect it from damage. He pulls it out and unzips the case.

The gleaming wood of his acoustic guitar calls to him like it hasn’t done in years as he walks with it towards his sofa. He sits down and tunes it and begins playing what he can remember of Niall’s song that if he’s being honest, he’s begun to think of as his song as well.

There’s a knock at the door that’s too polite to be Niall, and his heart thumps harder in his chest at the thought that it’s Harry. Since their date two weeks ago, Harry’s taken to stopping by, which often _\--okay, always--l_ eads to sex of some sort.

He opens the door to the sight of Harry in a wetsuit that leaves little to the imagination. Louis’ mind doesn’t even give him a chance to think about why Harry is in a wetsuit; he just immediately backs Harry up against the door and kisses him roughly. It must take Harry by surprise because he’s already begun to try and say something that’s being muffled by Louis’ lips.

Louis pulls away to let him talk. “Sorry, love. Just got a little excited, I guess.”

Harry looks a bit dazed. “Mmm--uh, not important,” he mumbles as he tries to lean back in to kiss him.

Louis laughs and backs up a step, and Harry’s pursed lips turn into a pout. “You were going to say something, and I suppose it has something to do with you being in a wetsuit.”

“Oh, right. Niall wants to take us surfing. Says we aren’t real Californians until we go surfing.”

“Aren’t you from California?” He asks, confused that he’s somehow got something this wrong about Harry.

“Yeah, I am,” Harry answers. “But I was never much of a surfer. So I guess Niall thinks we should take you out to ride some waves. He’s sort of hard to deter, which I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“I have, yes.” Louis grins.

Harry holds out a second wetsuit that’s he’s brought with that Louis hadn’t even noticed until now. “It’s Niall’s, so I think it’ll fit you. Might stretch out the ass area a little though.”

Harry’s tongue lolls out of his mouth ridiculously, and Louis rolls his eyes. “Bet you can’t wait to see my bum in this thing.”

“You know it!” Harry calls after him as Louis heads to the bedroom to change into the wetsuit. Not that Harry hasn’t already seen all there is to see, but if he changes in front of him, they’ll never make it to the beach.

When he emerges, Harry’s reaction is quite good for the ego. His jaw drops open and his eyes widen comically and Louis hasn’t even turned around yet to give him a view of his backside.

“Can you--” Harry starts, his voice gruff before he clears his throat. “Can I see the back?”

Louis lets a sly smile cross his face as he slowly turns to give Harry a good look. He hears the strangled noise Harry makes just as a less polite knock sounds at his door. It’s rhythmic at least; he’ll give Niall that.

“Are you wankers ready or what? Put your willies away and open the door!”

Louis flings open the door before Niall can say anything further.

“Oh good, you’re ready. Let’s go. We gotta wax the boards and then get out on the waves.”

“Lead the way,” Louis says.

Niall barrels on through the house and out through the glass doors that lead onto Louis’ deck. They follow along behind him, and apparently, Harry is having a hard time keeping his hands to himself, keeping one hand on Louis’ bum until they reach Niall’s deck next door.

“Choose a board,” Niall commands.

He and Harry each walk up and choose a board, and then Niall plunks a bar of wax into each of their palms. “For the basecoat,” he tells them.

“Do we really need to polish the surfboards first?” Louis asks skeptically.

“We’re waxing them, not polishing them, but yes, unless you want to fall on your arse immediately, Lou.” Niall snorts. “Use the edge of the wax and just keep rubbing until you see bumps start to form.”

After they’ve used an entire bar of wax, Niall hands them a blue coloured wax next that they apply on top and then use some odd comb to make lines across the wax. Niall sprays it all with  water, and then declares they’re ready.

“You do realise I don’t know at all what to do, right?” Louis asks, skeptically.

“Right. Well, we’ll practice a bit first. I mean, we need to figure out if you use your regular foot or your goofy one.”

“Goofy foot?”

“If your right foot is forward on the board, then you’re using your goofy foot. And here, lie down on your board and practice popping up.”

“Popping up?”

Niall lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Like so.”

Niall lies on the pale orange board he’s chosen and looks like he’s about to do a push up on the board. He quickly jumps his feet into position, which looks all well and good if Louis wasn’t wary about his knee. The phone number on his kitchen counter of the physiotherapist he’s supposed to call suddenly looms large in his mind.

Harry stands with his hands on his hips, looking serious. “This is a bad idea.”

“What?!” Niall exclaims. “The man has to learn to surf, H! He can’t be one of these fakes who live on the beach and never get in the water.”

Harry lets out a huff. “Niall, I’m one of those fakes.”

“I know. It’s a disgrace. Don’t want Louis being badly influenced by the likes of you.”

“His knee, Niall! Do you want him to injure his knee further?”

“You know, I’m right here,” Louis interrupts. “‘Can make decisions for myself.”

They both turn and look at him for a moment before continuing their argument.

“He’s a professional athlete.” Niall glares. “He knows his limits.”

“You’re pushy as hell.” Harry glares back. “He’s trying to be polite to his interfering neighbor.”

“INTERFERING? IT’S CALLED FRIENDSHIP!”

“FRIENDS DON’T PUSH YOU TO INJURE YOURSELF!”

“Lads!” Louis shouts out, jumping between them. “It’s fine. Really. I’ll take it easy on the knee.”

He turns to Harry. “I’m not a feeble old man just yet. But really, if my knee feels poorly, I’ll stop.”

The harsh look on Harry’s face suddenly turns concerned. Harry steps in more closely and reaches for him. His fingertips slide through his hair just over his ear as he tucks it carefully behind Louis’ ear. His thumb just a bare caress against his skin, and Louis shivers at his gentle touch.

“Louis.” Harry’s voice whispers huskily against his temple as he leans in further to press a soft kiss just there. “Did you know that I find older men very attractive?”

Louis clears his throat. “Ehm--I--”

“The silver that streaks your hair here at the sides, and the crinkles at the corners of your eyes when you smile--”

“Yes?” Louis chokes out as Harry presses in even more closely so that now the only thing separating them is the thin neoprene layers of their wetsuits.

Harry’s lips are at his ear now, and Louis can hear his own ragged breaths. “They make you even more fucking hot. Makes me want to bend you right over the--”

“Enough!” Niall shouts. “Get on your bloody boards before you start snogging each other’s faces off!”

///

Harry’s original intention had been to immediately peel the wetsuit from Louis’ body at the first opportunity. Unfortunately, they return from surfing aching and bruised. They walk into Louis’ house together, and Louis flops down onto his couch face first. He says something into the cushion that Harry can’t quite make out.

“What?”

Louis moves his head to the side with great effort. “I said, you can take a shower if you want. Never leaving this couch, me.”

“Um--okay. Guess you don’t want me to blow you in the shower, huh?” Harry asks, feigning innocence with his tone as he starts heading towards Louis’ master bathroom.

Louis groans. “I guess I can’t keep up with my young, fit boyfriend.”

Harry freezes in place.

“Fuck.”

Harry turns around to see Louis sitting up now, eyes wide as though he can’t believe he’s said it either.

“I--”

“Don’t take it back,” Harry commands.

“I didn’t mean to--”

“I said don’t take it back!”

Louis is smiling now, a fond look on his face that Harry now recognizes as one that seems reserved just for him. “I won’t.”

“Good. Your young, fit boyfriend is going to go take a shower now and try to wash all the sand out of my ass.”

Louis’ laugh might be one of the best things Harry has ever heard. He loves the way his laugh builds, starting with a smile until he can’t contain it any longer and the sound finally bubbles out of him. Harry shakes his ass a bit as he walks into Louis’ bedroom.

Unpacked boxes litter the room here as well as the living room. Harry hasn’t said anything, but it appears Louis’ more personal items have arrived from Manchester. He has to admit that he’s quite pleased to see all Louis’ belongings in the house; it really implies Louis’ future is here now.

He lets the spray of the shower work on some of the sore muscles in his back before he scrubs himself in an effort to rid himself of the sand that has worked its way into every crevice. He maybe cleans himself particularly thoroughly in the hopes of what activities might still be to come today.

When he comes out of the shower clad only in a towel, he finds Louis in the bedroom now going through a box and taking out a stack of books.

“All yours,” Harry says motioning towards the bathroom.

Louis drops the books on the bed and stalks forward, wrapping an arm about his waist and pulling him into his body. “Is that right?”

Harry’s tempted to get things started between them right now, but Louis hasn’t showered yet and is probably still pretty sore. “Go take your shower. I’ll still be here to manhandle when you get out.”

Louis grins and pinches his waist, causing him to give an embarrassing squawk. Louis just laughs as he heads into the bathroom. He doesn’t close the door as he peels his wetsuit off his body, giving him a full view of what’s to come. It’s Harry’s turn to groan as Louis steps into the shower.

He sits on Louis’ bed and figures there’s no point in borrowing clothing when it’s pretty obvious what they’re doing after this. He finds himself perusing the books Louis had taken out of the box that lay scattered on his bed. One of the books isn’t really a book at all, but a journal of some sort.

It’s very tempting to sneak a peek, but he doesn’t of course. He does, however, get up and knock at the bathroom door. “Louis? Would you like some help unpacking? I could try and do what I could in here?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks!” Louis shouts from the bathroom.

Harry opens another box. This one’s got clothing in it, mostly jerseys and soccer shorts. He finds a few empty drawers in a large dresser and sets them in, neatly folded. The next box is clearly mislabeled as it’s filled with dishes, so Harry carefully brings it into the kitchen and unpacks it onto the counter.

He walks back into the bedroom and finds Louis with his hair still a bit damp and a towel slung low on his hips. He looks utterly delicious, and Harry wants a taste. He walks towards him with intent, but then he catches sight of Louis’ tense posture.

He’s holding the journal in one hand. “Did you--”

“No! Louis--really. I wouldn’t. It looked--personal,” Harry answers quickly.

He sees Louis’ shoulders relax. “Sorry. It’s just lyrics. From ages ago. I’m sure they’re shit.”

Harry can tell by the look on Louis’ face that the lyrics in this journal must mean a lot more to Louis than he’s letting on at the moment. And suddenly, it occurs to him who might be Niall’s secret weapon.

“Louis?” He asks quietly.

“Yeah?”

“I guess I didn’t know you were into music. Is that why you were so interested in my guitar the other night?”

Louis shrugs, pretending an indifference that Harry can see right through.

“I’d love to see your lyrics sometime. If you’re comfortable with that, I mean. I--used to write things, too. Been years since I did, but I don’t know. Something about Niall always pestering me with his songs has sort of--”

“Sparked something?”

“Yeah. You too?”

“A little.” Louis shrugs again. “Niall and I--I mean, I just helped him with a bit of a song the other day--”

“Did you?” Harry smiles. “Louis, that song is amazing. Niall’s been over here harassing me with it, and I can’t get it out of my head. Are you saying you wrote the lyrics for it?”

The blush coloring Louis’ cheeks answers his question better than the embarrassed shrug Louis actually answers him with.

Harry gathers a bit of his own courage. He wants to show Louis how lovely he thinks the song is and maybe be as vulnerable in this moment as Louis is.

 _“‘Cause I wanna be yours, don’t you wanna be mine?”_ Harry sings quietly.

Louis’ eyes, which had been focused on his own hands before this, suddenly dart to his own. Harry sits down on the bed, takes Louis’ hand in his own, and draws him in.

 _“I don’t wanna get lost in the dark of the night,”_ Harry sings just before he presses his forehead to Louis’. _“This time I’m ready to run--”_

Louis cuts him off with a brief kiss.

“Is my singing that bad?”

Louis shakes his head. “No, it’s lovely, but your kisses are even sweeter.”

Harry snorts. “Is this the kind of talk I should get used to now that you’re my _boyfriend?”_

“Guess so. I have to think of some way to keep my young, fit boyfriend around.”

Harry nods. “I approve of your methods.”

“I think I can maybe think of some other--methods as well.” Louis’ hand slides up Harry’s thigh and under the towel.

“Is that right?” Harry chokes out.

“Mmhmm,” Louis grins as he pushes Harry back onto the bed and looms over him. Louis’ towel loosens and falls to the bed, and Harry takes a peek down the length of his boyfriend’s body. “Sneaky.”

Harry waggles his eyebrows ridiculously. “My boyfriend’s really hot, what can I say?”

“I see this is going to be a thing with you, isn’t it? Calling me _boyfriend?”_

“You said it first,” Harry reminds him with a grin.

“That I did,” Louis replies. “I can see that pleases you more than I ever dreamed. Maybe I can do a few other things that please you. Why don’t you turn over, love?”

Harry scrambles to comply.

“I’ve always loved how responsive you are,” Louis whispers in his ear, sending a shiver of sensation across his skin. Louis presses a line of kisses down the middle of his back, and then, Harry loses interest in anything but the feel of Louis’ mouth against his skin.

 

Harry awakens in Louis’ arms hours later. Louis’ quiet breaths beneath him, the only noise in the otherwise silent house. The dim light of the early evening sun brings only questions with it. What else is hidden away amidst Louis’ lyrics?

 _“There’s a future in my life I can’t foresee,”_ Harry sings quietly against Louis’ chest to the tune of Niall’s song. _“Unless of course, I stay on course and keep you next to me.”_

He presses a kiss against the skin that protects Louis’ heart from the world and hopes that Louis wants the same.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading part four of this series! If you enjoyed it, please leave kudos or a comment, and if you could [reblog this fic post](http://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/175722306746/dive-a-five-part-series-written-by), that would be amazing! One more part for this series! <3


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